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War of the Austrian Succession (1740 - 1748)
The War of the Austrian Succession '''was a large-scale conflict fought by the Great Powers of Europe over the disputed succession to the extensive Habsburg dominions after the death of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. The war quickly spiralled away from the original intention, however, becoming more about Prussian ambitions upon Austrian territory and a French ambition to establish themselves as the greatest European power. The war was wasteful and unnecessary in the eyes of many, with over 1,000,000 people dead over a few small transfers of territory by the end of it all, including 24,000 innocent civilians. The war was devastating for both sides, with the rulers of all countries involved facing large-scale criticism for their roles in the deaths of millions. The war, at least officially, ended inconclusively. It was obvious, however, that France had won the day by the end of the war. Although Maria Theresa remained seated upon the thrones of the Habsburg dominions, France had proven itself greater than her and had defeated the Habsburgs in war. The conflict ultimately served the interests of Charles XII more than they did anyone else involved, with France seizing valuable territories such as the Austrian Netherlands, as well as minor territorial changes further south from the Empire. In the end, however, neither side was pleased with the result and it would merely lay the stage for the next few decades to be filled with tension and many close spells with war. Background '''Goals for the Attackers Holy Roman States A large amount of tension had been growing in the Holy Roman Empire over the previous decades, mostly concerned over the uncertain succession to the dominions of the Habsburg Monarchy. This became a concern when Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI rose to the throne in the Empire after the death of Joseph I, due to the fact that Charles had no sons. This was a huge concern for many in Europe, due to the fact that Salic Law meant that a female could not inherit and the Habsburg dominions would be carved up upon Charles VI's death. Other European powers became weary of this idea, as many had come to be in favour of a "balance of power" after the devastating nature of the War of the Spanish Succession four decades prior to the beginning of this one. Tensions continued to grow over this contentious issue throughout Europe, with even other monarchs becoming involved. France and Spain Charles XII of France had been watching the situation wearily, unwilling to move on the issue until something seemed more secure. The Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 had been an attempt at a peaceful succession, though this arguably pleased nobody as the succession to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire was, in a legal sense, still determined by the seven Prince-Electors of the Empire. Charles XII believed that he could use this political system to his advantage in weakening the Habsburgs, so he began to prop up an alternative candidate in the Prince-Elector of Bavaria for the Imperial Throne. It did not seem to matter to the French King that the Emperor was his maternal uncle, for he was more concerned about proving his dominance over the Habsburgs. Spain, meanwhile, under Fernando VIII, were in a long alliance with France due to the relation between the two Houses of Artois of both Kingdoms. This led to them honouring their relationship with France and joining the conflict when it erupted. Prussia The Prussian position towards the Habsburgs had always been a difficult one at best. King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia had a hatred for both France and Austria, though he understood the necessity of pitting the two powers against each other for the benefit of Prussia. He knew that at some time he would have to align with one of them. He chose to align with France, with a secret pact between himself and Charles XII. The French King was more cunning than the Prussian one however, and King Charles XII also made a secret agreement with Friedrich Wilhelm's heir, the future Frederick the Great, to continue the Prussian-French alliance against Austria. Both sides were aware that this alliance was necessary to defend effectively and counter the power of the Habsburg Monarchy. Ancient rivalries between France and Austria, as well as Prussia and Austria brought the two sides together. It must be noted, however, that Prussia was not a hugely strong power at this time, mostly ascending to greater prominence after this war. Goals for the Defenders Habsburg Monarchy The Habsburg Monarchy was a multi-national Empire with far-reaching territories all across Europe. Since the end of the War of the Spanish Succession with their defeat at the hands of the French, the Habsburgs had been in effective decline in power over the previous decades. Nonetheless, they retained the Emperorship of the Holy Roman Empire during this time and their power was still high. Goals for the Habsburgs when the war erupted were to be expected: they wished for a continuation of their rule over the Holy Roman Empire and their Habsburg dominions. This would prove a contentious issue, however, for many claimed that the lack of a son to Emperor Charles VI meant that the dominions must be divided between relatives and the other great powers. The Emperor passed the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 in an attempt to keep the Habsburg dominions together, though this appeased almost nobody and proved to be ineffective in driving for stability. WIP